The two of them ran as fast as they possibly could with those things chasing behind them.  Both of them gasped for breath and she could hear Erin whimpering in fear behind her.  The transition onto the sidewalk was easy for Elizabeth, but Erin's foot caught on the edge and she tripped.  “Lizzy!” she cried out frantically.  Stopping to turn around, she saw their pursuers not far behind them.  Racing back to help, she picked Erin up just as one of them reached out to grab her.  Mere millimeters away from grabbing her, the thing fell over and bought them a little time as those around it tripped over the body.

More of them ran out of the allies, Elizabeth shrieking in terror as they managed to jump out and surprise her, barely missing her as she jumped out of the way and out of their grasp.  Erin screamed too though being smaller and faster she was able to dodge more easily.  

“Come on,” Elizabeth managed to say between breaths, making sure that Erin was ahead of her.  Her lungs were burning for air, but she couldn't stop because those things wouldn't.  If those things caught up to them, with Elizabeth between Erin and the danger, she would be the one to go first giving the little girl a chance.  

They needed to find somewhere to stop for even a few seconds to catch their breaths.  Though Erin was doing a good job at keeping up, and was even surpassing her, Elizabeth could see she was getting tired.  At the first building she saw, she yelled, “There!  Go!  Into the church!”  

The little girl ran as fast as she could to the building with the tall steeple and stained glass windows.  Emerging from its hiding spot, one of those things charged in Elizabeth's direction.  Unable to turn around, she had to go through it.  Picking up a trash can lid, she used it as a shield bumping into it and shoving it aside.  She didn't stop until she reached the church.  Together they shut the doors and she locked them.  “Find something,” Elizabeth said as she pressed her weight against it.  Searching around the pews, Erin found a cane in the umbrella stand and returned with it.  Slipping it through the handles.  If she could have moved one of those large wooden pews in front of it for an extra barricade then she would have, but unfortunately she wasn't strong enough for that.

“We made it,” Erin said happily, celebrating their temporary success.

Not feeling the same excitement, she tried to muster as much enthusiasm as she could not to worry the girl.  “We did,” she said with a strained smile.  Luckily Erin didn't notice as she ran to look around the building.  “Stay in sight.”

The colored light from the windows dimmed as the numbers blocked the sun.  Not a religious person herself by any means, she found it ironic either way that she would end up in a church.  Picking up one of the choir books sitting in the pews, she flipped through it reading the lyrics to old hems she'd never heard of.  “Lizzy!  Look!  Food!” she heard Erin exclaim.  Closing the book and setting it down, she went to join the girl at the front where she pointed to a collection of boxes full of boxed and canned goods.  There was a sign near them that read 'Food Drive Donations'.  

Searching the boxes, she picked up a small tin of fruit and tried to open the tab herself.  Smiling at her attempt, Elizabeth couldn't stop thinking about this little girl was so strong.  Had she been stuck with any other kid they would have probably been crying, fighting, and arguing with her right now.  But Erin was so well-behaved and even after the recent loss of her parents, she was pressing on.

“Let me,” she said, holding her hand out for it.  Erin bounded over to her and held it out to her.  She pealed the lid back with ease before handing it back and watched as the little girl happily ate it, fruit juice dribbling down her scraped chin.